5 Construction Management Tips to Effectively Deliver Every Project
From start to finish, there needs to be a process for everything if you want your construction business to be a success. This is especially true if you are starting in an area that already offers many new construction options for home buyers. Following these tips might not guarantee success – but they will certainly put you ahead of some of the competition.
1. When Making Your Construction Business Plan, Prioritize Hiring the Right Representatives
The type of customer service professionals you hire will depend greatly on your construction business itself. Are you building commercial properties or residential ones, or do you focus on rehab and repairs? Whether you are hiring a receptionist and a team of detail-oriented customer service professionals or a team of rockstar realtors to sell your residential new construction, you want to hire the best of the best.
This is the first impression on your business – the voice handling your phones, the first face people see upon entering your office. Curb appeal and staging a home are going to help your home sell faster for more money. Similarly, having strong and successful CSR’s will ensure that your customers come back again and again, happy with the experience.
2. Market Your Community Aggressively Online and In-Person
Marketing is something you just can’t cut corners with – though you should be careful about putting your funds into the right places. These days you’re better off putting most of your efforts into a digital platform. Zillow and Trulia listings, Facebook and Instagram ads, and, of course, your website are all places in which you want to invest heavily.
On the other hand, just because your focus is not on in-person marketing you will still find several people who reach out due to word-of-mouth, snail mail or roadside advertising. This means you should keep the open-house signs and the mailers on the lower end of the cost spectrum – but don’t leave them out entirely or you’re missing a great opportunity to sell to more customers.
3. Increase Productivity by Boosting Morale Among Workers
Remember, happy workers are productive workers – and productive workers mean an efficient business. The best way to increase productivity among your workforce is to invest in boosting morale in any way you can. This could mean providing better tools, simplifying processes, or providing discounted or free training and education opportunities.
You should also remember that your workers’ wages and hours all come into play here as well. Many unions have started focusing on the power of higher wages and things like a 4-day workweek. Rather than working for 6-8 hours a day, 5 days a week many are finding that working longer hours for fewer days increases worker happiness and in turn creates more productive employees.
4. Use Building Information Modeling (BIM)
One thing you shouldn’t leave out of your construction business plan is a good construction management software – especially Building Information Modeling software. This new technology allows you to create digital representations of the buildings that you’re planning to build. It helps you visualize the building before you start spending time and money. This way, if there are any major changes you want to make to the look of your construction you can talk to the architect long before you break ground.
This is a newer technology – but it can help you determine things that might otherwise be difficult before you’ve built the property. BIM can help you determine how many occupants might go in and out of commercial buildings or help you calculate the size of the water heater and air conditioners you’re going to need. For anyone who wants to have successful construction business models, BIM is a necessity.
5. Listen to the Concerns of Your Staff and Customers
The last – but possibly the most important bit of advice for anyone who has construction business ideas they want to move forward with – is to listen to others. This could be your staff or your customers – but don’t neglect to listen to them. While you’re off handling phone calls, keeping the show running from an outside perspective, they are the ones who are down in the dirt (often literally) making it all possible.
It doesn’t matter if the person who comes to you has been working with you for one week or years there is a chance, they have good ideas. It could be a way to help increase efficiency and therefore productivity in the building process, or it could be a simple suggestion such as requiring people to put their names on their lunches if they are all left in the same fridge. Your staff will feel more like you care and are likely to work harder for you if you make them feel like their opinion matters – so never neglect to listen to your staff.
Again, the same goes for customers. Your buyers know what they want – so what is the sense in ignoring the things they ask for specifically? You want your construction business to be known not only for a high quality of work and customer service but also for providing the best customer value compared to your competition.
Looking a home warranty provider for your construction business? There’s a lot to keep in mind, but not everything has to be complicated. Visit our Home Builder page to request a Warranty Quote to see how we can help you grow your business.
